Development and characterization of levan/pullulan/chitosan edible films enriched with ε-polylysine for active food packaging

•A newly developed levan was first introduced into the fabrication of edible films.•The applicability of edible films for food packaging was systematically evaluated.•Water resistance and oxygen barrier property of blend films were notably improved.•Film coatings showed a favorable effect on maintaining the quality of strawberries. The levan/pullulan/chitosan edible films, enriched with ε-polylysine, as an antimicrobial agent, were successfully fabricated by the casting method, and their applicability for food packaging was systematically evaluated by several analytical techniques. An increase in the levan/pullulan ratios (ranged from 0:6 to 3:3) in the films showed a decreased water solubility (from 72.21% to 26.64%) and oxygen permeability (from 48.75 × 10−2 g·mm·m−2·d−1·kPa−1 to 4.45 × 10−2 g·mm·m−2·d−1·kPa−1), and increased elongation at break (from 10.92% to 46.61%). All the films showed a strong inhibitory effect on two typical food-borne pathogens and good biodegradability in the soil. These films were employed as edible coatings on strawberries, and the storage stability was investigated by means of physical and biochemical parameters. Compared to control, the weight loss, firmness, and total soluble solids of the coated strawberries showed a downward trend. Overall, these findings suggest that the developed edible films could be a potential approach for sustainable active food packaging.